Intra and extracellular effects of benzo [α] pyrene on liver, gill and blood of Caspian White fish (Rutilus frissi kutum): Cyto-genotoxicity and histopathology approach

Southern parts of the Caspian Sea have been faced with a diverse range of oil pollutants. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the effects of relevant environmental concentrations of benzo[α]pyrene (BαP) on liver, gill, and blood of Caspian White fish. To this end, 150 fingerling fish (6.5 ± 0.8 g) were exposed to under, near and over environmental concentrations of BαP (i.e. 50, 100, and 200 ppb, respectively) and two control groups for 21 days. Following exposure to BαP, generally, DNA damage increased in the liver and gill cells as well as the frequency of micro- and bi-nucleated erythrocytes in a time and concentration-dependent pattern. In addition, the liver and gill tissues displayed several histopathological lesions. Together, the findings are warning the health status of the Caspian Sea due to an ever-increasing concentration of BαP through using Caspian White fish as an ecological model.